Stile: Separating Sandy and politics is easier said than done

In his State of the State speech, Governor Christie characterized superstorm Sandy as one of those rare traumatic events that “are above politics.”

But candidate Christie is not above trumpeting his record in the post-Sandy recovery. A one-page survey sent out to some New Jersey households this week, accompanied by a sheet listing Christie’s “rebuild and recover” highlights, has the look and feel of campaign literature.

Except that it wasn’t produced and funded by the Christie for Governor campaign. Instead, it was written on “State of New ­Jersey, Office of Governor” letterhead and mailed through Christie’s office.

It was paid for by taxpayers.

“Tell Governor Christie what you think!” the survey begins.

“He fought to secure more than $60 billion in federal aid for the residents and small-business owners hit hardest by the storm,” it says. Then it asks readers to give the governor a grade ranging from A to F.

Three questions later, the surveys ends by touching on a subject that only tangentially involves Sandy. “He’s not done yet, but more than 30,000 private-sector jobs were added in December alone for a total of over 100,000 new private-sector jobs since Governor Christie took office,” it says. Again, it asks for a grade.

Like the carefully orchestrated town halls or the carefully edited YouTube videos put out by the administration, critics say, the survey is an example of Christie using the power of his office to promote his political profile.

But the survey also reveals how much Sandy will figure into his ambitious pursuit of becoming the first Republican candidate for statewide office in 25 years to capture 50 percent of the vote — or even more.

The mailing helps to keep his much-acclaimed Sandy stewardship fresh in the public consciousness just as Democrats begin pounding him on his vulnerabilities – the state’s stubbornly high 9.5 percent unemployment rate, for example.

Democrats also have been trying to take some of the sheen off his post-Sandy glow by holding hearings on the Florida company that was hired to oversee the cleanup of debris.

Christie’s representatives, mean­while, characterized the mailing as a routine communication with constituents, something the governor has done since taking office in January 2010.

“It is merely a way of asking the public what they want from their state government,” said Michael Drewniak, Christie’s chief spokesman. “We want to hear from the public, and this is an opportunity for people to do that if they choose.”

Drewniak did not provide details on the production costs involved with the survey or how many households will receive it.

Households in Princeton in Mecer County received the mailing Wednesday accompanied by a letter from Christie congratulating them on last year’s historic consolidation of the town and borough.

Critics likened the survey to a “push poll,” a tactic used by both political parties in which a telephone survey is packed with loaded questions or negative information about a candidate. Only in this case, the survey contains statements aimed at spreading glowing reviews of the governor, or at least rekindling warm memories of his leadership last fall.

“It’s designed to give very positive answers and very positive spin on things,” said Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, who lost her bid for lieutenant governor in 2009 when the underdog Christie won his first term by defeating Gov. Jon Corzine.

The Teaneck Democrat called it a “blatant piece of campaign literature.”

Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a Washington watchdog group that monitors congressional mailing practices, said the survey sounded like “propaganda, bragging and touting what he’s done, not necessarily about what is going on.”

But Ellis said only state authorities could determine whether Christie is “informing the public about issues” or using his office to “advance his candidacy.”

The state Election Law Enforcement Commission, for example, prohibits officeholders from sending voters self-promotional materials 90 days before an election. (The so-called blackout period kicks in on Jan. 1 during a gubernatorial election year.) But the ban also has exemptions – officials can send out letters that provide “information involving a public emergency,” such as warning people about an impending storm.

Then again, Christie might argue that the survey’s findings could help the governor better plan for the next storm.

Regardless, the survey hints that more mailings are coming. And readers can check a box next to a line that says, “Governor, let me know when you’re going to be in my town by keeping me informed with email updates!”